Recruiting Report: Jordan Nolan (2020)

Things could not have started better for the Coon Rapids Cardinals' football team in 2018. They started the season 3-0 for the first time since 2010. A couple of close losses started the team down a tough stretch to end the season, but Cardinals' senior <strong>Jordan Nolan</strong> feels like the best is yet to come – for the Cardinals and Nolan. "We had a good start," Nolan said. "We had some momentum, and then we played Irondale. After we lost that game, everything started to go downhill. I think we had something there for a little bit. I think this fall we will be hard to beat. We have talent. We just need to put it all together. I think with a new coach; we can be really good." Especially during the first half of the season, the defense carried the Cardinals. "We caused turnovers, made plays and stopped the run," Nolan said. "We were a little shaky on offense but some games we were able to run the ball well." Nolan felt he had a solid season. "The season went well for me. I set high expectations for myself, so even though I did well, I would rather have my team do well. I thought I played decently, but I could do better to help my team get some more wins." Nolan is a two-way starter. "I was always the left outside linebacker," the 6'0" 220 athlete said. "I think my ability to get off blocks, and my ability to rush the passer are my strengths. On offense, I played tight end and was a good blocker. I would catch most of the passes I was thrown, but I thought my blocking was my best trait." A coming position change dictated his offseason focus. "I have been working on my lateral quickness," Nolan explained "I and am moving to middle linebacker this season, and I need to be able to run side to side and to be able to play well in the box. Also, I have been watching a lot of film to start getting my mind right to play middle linebacker." "It was a move I wanted to make, but my team supported it," Nolan continued. "The position move has helped my recruiting. A lot of the college coaches I talk to think I might be a fit at middle linebacker." This season is not the first time Nolan has made a position change. As a freshman and sophomore, Nolan played defensive end. "The biggest challenge (changing positions) was the get off," Nolan told northstarfootballnews.com. "When you are at outside linebacker you are not in a stance where you can come off the ball fast. Coming in contact with the tackle all the time – that was different for me. I went from being a run-heavy defender to having pass coverage responsibilities." Nolan went from football to working out and then track. "In the winter we would work on movement and agility and then we would lift using explosive movements – especially in the lower body. During the track season, we dialed it down a little bit because I ended up with a minor quad strain. I took about a week and a half off during the track season." It was his second year in track. He threw the shot and discus – missing a State berth in the shot by less than an inch. His leg was still not one hundred percent when he started going to college camps. "The junior days went great. I felt like I made good connections with all the coaches. When I got to camps, I still felt that connection with coaches, but it was hard for me to perform with my quad injury. When I got to July and the Moorhead camp, I was able to move more fluently. Then the camp season started to get better for me." It went well enough to get him two early offers. "I have two offers right now – the University of Mary and the University of Moorhead who offered last week. I hear a lot from Northern State and occasionally from North Dakota. Colorado State-Pueblo and Minnesota-Crookston have also been talking to me." The college coaches have told him what they like and what they want Nolan to work on before he gets to a college campus. "They like my competitiveness, my hips, and my footwork," Nolan concluded. "My footwork can get better, and they want me to play with a lower pad level." The best might be yet to come for both Nolan and the Cardinals. They can both get better in 2019. If they do, both the Cardinals' fan base and a college football program will be very happy.